I have been an Alameda resident since 1989, after I came from China and graduated from a college in the U.S. I moved to Alameda because I got a job in Berkeley and have lived here since. I was a renter, then a homeowner, and saved enough money to buy a second house and rent out the first one.

It is an American dream to own a house. I worked hard and am fortunate enough to be able to fulfill that dream. I am sure most Americans have that dream and hope it will become true, if it has not already. I am sure most homeowners would want to have another property to rent out, having some income for their retirement.

I love Alameda because it is a community in the greater Bay Area but still preserves the small community charm: one can pretty much walk around town here to shop, dine and go to the beach.

I have been very disturbed by the rent crisis cry in town in the last couple of years. First of all, I don’t think there is a crisis. Yes, rent increases over the years. I have always been taught that you live where you can afford to do so. I would love to live in Piedmont, Blackhawk or some other fancy place, but I also know my own financial situation and pick a place that I like and can afford to live.

I am not trying to be mean, but that is a basic economic principal, and a few people in Alameda seem to either not understand this or want to go against that principal and create animosity between housing providers and renters here, where the majority of renters and their landlords have enjoyed a very good trusting and mutually respectful relationship.

The recently passed Alameda Rent Stabilization Ordinance 3148 is taking the human part out of the landlord-renter relationship, making it purely business. The ordinance pretty much guarantees that there is going to be an annual rent increase of about 5 percent. The majority of Alameda landlords are not large businesses but individuals who work hard all their lives and invest in their future.

In the past, the rent on our properties increased about every other year, and we enjoyed our relationship with our renters. This ordinance puts us in a situation in which rent is going to be raised every year, just to protect our investment.

If this wasn’t bad enough, then along comes Measure M1 proposed by the Alameda Renters Coalition, which makes matters much worse. If it passes, it is going to make Alameda an undesirable place to live. What they propose is going to disincentive any rental property improvements, causing overall Alameda property values to decrease.

Furthermore, it pits the renters against their housing providers — and creates an environment of animosity. Instead of a united and friendly Alameda, it becomes good versus evil — of course which side you are on depends on if you own or rent. Is this what we want for our community?

Measure M1 is constructed unilaterally for renters by a few rent control activists, not taking into consideration at all the investment, taxes and costs to maintain rental properties. Ninety-nine percent of the landlords are not the top 1 percent that ARC wants to vilify. We were not born with silver spoons in our mouths but are hardworking people just like most of the renters. Please don’t forget that the renters are living in the landlords’ properties. Don’t they want the landlords to keep the properties maintained, updated and safe?

It is a free country, if you don’t like to rent, buy your own house — you are free to do so in this land of opportunity.